Mad Brew Labs

Doctor Steel

Are You a Mindless Drone?

Tired of being mired in today’s rat race they call society?  Would you like to finally be happy, truly happy?  Tired of being manipulated by fear, war?  Then help Doctor Steel, reality engineer, cast off the shackles of this boring, dreary world and join his cause!  No longer to you need to be a slave to “the man.”

From the time you were forced to go to school and study subjects that bored the hell out of you, you were being prepped to live the rest of your existence as a slave to consumerism and corporate profit margins.  They slowly drained the fun out of life, and it began with boring studies, then they took away recess, and now they have transformed you into a mindless drone.

Break the cycle and fight back, help Dr. Steel with his plans for World Domination!

Who is Doctor Steel?

Dr. Phineas Waldolf Steel is an inventor, visionary, entertainer and future Emperor of the world, with your help.  His vision is more of a world make-over, rather than a world take-over.  His plan is to create a Utopian Playland that encompasses the globe, and all based upon the simple ideology that FUN is the top priority.

Putting the “fun” back in functional is Dr. Steel’s vision. A Utopian Playland incorporates the pleasing aesthetics and entertainment of a theme park with the needs and functionality of a well designed community.

A grand transformation is needed in order to supply the world with such an environment and with that; a new world view must begin to take place. Dr. Steel believes that such a revolution begins with the individual’s perception of reality.

“A Utopian Playland isn’t simply a physical incarnation, it is a psychological one. It is a way of looking at one’s reality. Building a Utopian Playland must begin from within before we march forth towards this grand, new horizon.”

– www.doctorsteel.com

Dr. Steel will make his vision of a Utopian Playground reality once he completes the transition to World Emperor.  He has lots of plans; plans for fun, music, and robots… lots of robots.

How Can I Help?

You can help spread Dr. Steel’s vision of a Utopian Playground by enlisting in his Army of Toy Soldiers and girls may also join the Nurse Division or Toy Scouts.  Dr. Steel envisions living in a world where fun is the top priority. He imagines a landscape filled with endless possibilities based on the ideology that life should be spent doing the things that make us happy.

Dr. Steel’s Army of Toy Soldiers are active supporters of this cause. A Toy Soldier knows that by rejecting fear, embracing inspiration and by uniting in a singular focused vision, that the world can and will be transformed into a Utopian Playland.

By becoming a Toy Soldier you are an integral part of Dr. Steel’s success. You are Dr. Steel’s eyes and ears. You are the legs on which he stands.

Only YOU can help Dr. Steel take over the world, so sign up today and begin making this world a better place!

Enlist Today!

Listening to: Dr. Steel – Dr. Steel – Spaceboy

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This is most likely old news, as I know several blogs covered The Sutlan Game Table: The Ultimate Gaming Aide from Geek Chic that garnered its fair share of attention during GenCon.  I saw it, inspected it, and daydreamed about it.  The table on display at GenCon  was certainly a piece of fine craftsmanship and someone did their homework on what would make a good design.

The Sultan (c) Geek Chic

The caveat? Well, its pricetag.  The Sultan would most likely be the most expensive piece of furniture I would I ever own as it costs $9,650!  I am sure this baby does indeed cost a fortune in materials (I’d approximate $1,500 – $2000) and of course the time and effort to craft by hand.

So I am not knocking the price they are asking.  I may be a hardcore geek, but I am also the consumate do-it-yourselfer.  I am my own mechanic (just re-installed a rebuilt transmission, new clutch, and a lightened flywheel in my Eclipse), my own handyman (repaired a hole in my drywall last week), and soon to be carpenter (if I can convince the wifey to let me spend the money on materials).

The Game Room

This is actually part of a few articles about what I “would like to do” with one of the bonus rooms in my house.  One of the rooms is above my two-car garage, but since it lies in what used to be an attic, it is probably about half the width of the garage, but still have plenty of room.  I have the measurements written down in my notebook, which I seem to have left at work.

I have few goals for my game room.  The first is having a kick-ass table to play my games one.  Some other goals include shelving for all my books, a display case for miniatures, boardgame shelving, and tasteful decoration.  I actually thought about cladding the walls in faux dungeon stone… but that may be too much.

My Table

Before I had ever laid eyes upon The Sultan, I had done some research on what would make a killer game table.  Here is a list of features I wanted:

• Optimal Seating: 6 (the actual number of stations)
• Maximum Seating: 10 (the number you could cram)
• Built-in adjustable lighting (intensity & color)
• Gaming Layers: 3 (tiered layers within the table)
• Wet Erase Surfaces (Plexiglass)
• 1″ Hex , 1″ Square, & 1.5″ Square grids
• Private Messaging (IMFree?)
• Digital Map Projection
• Player Stations/Storage

So I have some general specifications, but to really be able to build this table I think I’ll need to mock up the footprint of a table that will fit comfortably in my bonus room and allow for traffic behind seated players.  Then I’ll want to take those dimensions and use them as the maximum tolerance on the width & length of the table as I model it in AutoCAD.  This way I can solve engineering dilemas and actually create the bill of materials to know exactly how much it would cost (assuming I cut everything right the first time!).

I’ll keep you posted as the CAD drawing develops.  As an aside, CAD is nothing new for me.  I actually made a living doing 3D modeling and drafting for an Aerospace company (we had contracts with GM, Rolls-Royce, and Boeing) while I was going to college and before I became a programmer.

Research Notes

• Pen, Paper, & Pixel – A game table that uses a projector
• The Avenger Game Table – Clean, well designed game table w/ instant messaging
• Agrys’ Game Table – An insane looking table that uses orbs and tube for passing notes
• The Sultan – For $10k this drool inducing table could be yours
• Projection Table Plans – Simple plans for projecting from beneath a table
• Motorola IMFree – Handheld wireless messaging
• Acer Projector – Though I’d probably shop around eBay first, this is cheap

Listening to: Abney Park – Lost Horizons – Airship Pirates

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Steampunk Goggles by Mike Brown

What is Steampunk?

Airships, clockwork contraptions, steam engines, gears, cogs, Victorian fashion, gaslights, and of course, goggles.  All of these trappings hold the flavor of Steampunk.  Defining the exact boundaries of a genre is difficult at best and impossible most any other time.  I usually think of Steampunk as 19th century earth but with anachronistic technology, or rather, modern devices created with 19th century technology.  Usually steam-powered, hence steampunk.  It is what would have happened if the Industrial Revolution went wild.

So we have determined the first root of the word steampunk, but what about the other part?  I tend to believe that the punk is derived from the rebellious, swashbuckling element of the genre.  Adventure.  Defiance.  Many stories of the genre defy established social mores, religious dogma, and government philosophies.  Punk also embodies the do-it-yourself anthem of the Steampunk culture.

Narrative Origins

Steampunk has its roots in speculative fiction with the works of Mary Shelly (Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus, 1818), Jules Verne (Journey to the Center of the Earth, 1864) and H.G. Wells (The TIme Machine, 1895).  Steampunk truly came into its own in the 80s with the works of K.W. Jeter (Morlock Night, 1979 and Infernal Devices, 1987) [who is said to have coined the term Steampunk], Tim Powers (The Anubis Gates, 1983), and James Blaylock (Homunculus, 1986).  But it was 1990’s The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling that garnered the genre worldwide attention.

Much of the work written under the Steampunk genre are set in the Victorian Era, or some Neo-Victorian world.  However there are also plenty of settings with Wild West, Lovecraftian, and Medieval influences as well.  Many consider Steampunk a derivative of Cyberpunk as the two genres tackle the same social issues and themes.  It is also because of Gibson and Sterling’s significant contribution to genre and the fact that they were masters of the Cyberpunk genre before entering the world of steam.

Visual Themes

Steampunk Watch (C) Eager Beavers

In contempory technlogy, all of the working parts are hidden from view.  No one wants to be bothered with how their car functions, as long as it functions.  In the Steampunk genre, all the mechanical innards are exposed in all their widgety grandness.  This is a subconscious reaction to sleek and invisible of modern devices.  Not that Steampunk cannot be sleek.  It can be sleek and beautiful, but you’ll recognize it as Steampunk immediately.

The cogs, gears, and springs of clockwork automata can be seen turning and whirring, half-hidden behind a riveted boiler plate guard.  Plumbing, conduits, and guages are exposed in a web of copper and brass tubing.  Steampunk design also has influences from the art-deco and gothic movements.

Fashion also plays a vital role in the imagery of the Steampunk genre.  I find it is usually a mixture of Victorian or Edwardian historical fashion, Wild West style, and WWII flight equipment (the GOGGLES!) that has been given a touch of extravagance, flamboyance, and industrialism.

Steam-powered Media

Steampunk has infiltrated every corner of media and entertainment from books to music.  Here are some abridged lists of works categorized by medium:

Animation: Last Exile, Howl’s Moving Castle, Steamboy, Amazing Screw-on Head

Comics: Battle Chasers, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Steampunk, Girl Genius

Film: The Prestige, Wild Wild West, Golden Compass, Around the World in 80 Days

Music: Abney Park, Voltaire, Vernian Process, Rose Coven, Dr. Steel

Novels: The Difference Engine, Anubis Gates, Whitechapel Gods, Perdido Street Station

Periodicals: Steampunk Magazine, The Willows

Table Top RPGs: Iron Kingdoms, Castle Falkenstein, Deadlands, Unhallowed Metropolis

Television: Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. [w/ Bruce Campbell!], Secret Adventures of Jules Verne

Video Games: Castlevania, Bioshock, Final Fantasy, Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura

Websites: Aether Emporium, Steampunk Workshop, Brass Goggles

This really is just a small sampling, if you would like to see more examples of Steampunk in media and entertainment you should check out Aether Emporium’s extremely exhaustive lists for Roleplay & Gaming; Cinema, Film, & Music; Books & Comics; Art; and Clothing & Costuming.  Aether Emporium really is a one-stop site for all your Steampunk needs.  Alternatively, check out Wikipedia’s List of Steampunk Works.

Steampunk Culture

There is a cultural movement to adopt the Steampunk aesthetic as a lifestyle.  Much like the goth, punk, and industrial counter-cultures, the fans of Steampunk immerse themselves in the trappings of the genre.  Fashion and music take center stage, but many steampunks also use the theme in home decor where these do-it-yourselfers modify modern devices to emulate Steampunk gadgetry.

With any culture, events and conventions are bound to appear to cater the fans.  You have the California Steampunk Convention happening THIS WEEKEND!  The Edwardian Ball is something I think I will be taking my wife to in the near future, it’s inaugural event happens in January.  And of course, SalonCon happened in September.

Steampunk has even made it to MTV (which features the SalonCon).  I’ve included the videos from MTV.com for your view pleasure.  I actually hate MTV, with a passion, but these are worth the watch.  It’s actually the first new stuff I have watched from MTV in like ten years.

[Note: this post was edited because I could not get the embedded MTV videos to validate for anything, I am just going to send you to the source...]

MTV’s expose on Steampunk.

RPG Bloggers Network Steampunks

Well, seeing how I am doing this overview of the Steampunk genre, of course I am a fan.  I am also contributing to the genre with the development of my Steampunk-Horror setting, The Dead Wastes.  The RPGBN is also home to fellow Steampunk setting developer, Stargazer, and his wonderful world of Asecia.  I know Tom from Geek Emporium has a soft spot for Steampunk.  If any readers or fellow bloggers have a love for the genre, feel free to speak up and leave a comment!

Listening to: Dr. Steel – People of Earth – Back and Forth

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[Note: The table below will display better if you install this font, as it was created with Asmor's Monster Maker.]

A figure stands before you jingling like a chime in the wind.  The humanoid shape is buckled from head to toe in black leather with hundreds of ringlets.  Attached to these rings are hundreds more keys, all clanging and bouncing off each other as the figure moves.  Whoever is inside the leather and keyring suit must only be able see and speak through three keyholes that cover its eyes and mouth.  It croaks in a gravelly voice, “The override code must be provided to obtain travel authority.”

The Keymaster is a unique entity that resides in the Hall of Doors , a Nadori complex that time has forgotten.  The Hall of Doors is a nexus of gates that allows one to travel from the Prime directly to any of the other known Dimensions.  The Hall of Doors is the name that legend now gives the Nadori Dimensional Conduit Terminal.  Here the Nadori exerted their influence through the Æther and into other dimensions.

The complex has been abandoned for over a millennium, but the Keymaster has maintained his vigilance over the Hall the entire time.  He guards the locked portals to the other dimensions, and only he knows which keys unlocks the appropriate doors.

He is commanded to deny entrance to anyone who wishes to use the portals but is otherwise not hostile.  The Keymaster cannot be negotiated with, nor tricked into unlocking a portal.  Only through the Keymaster’s destruction or if given the “password”  may one pass.

Tactics

Once pressed into battle, the Keymaster will attempt Teleport to the square where the players are concetrated. Once in position, the Keymaster will execute Looking Beyond the Keyhole, spend an action point, and then execute his Tumbler of Woe power.

Keymaster Lore

A character knows the following information with a successful History check:

DC 15: You have heard of an immortal guardian that protects the Hall of Doors.
DC 20: It is said that the Keymaster can hypnotize you with his accoutrement of keys.
DC 25: The Keymaster is said to be vulnerable to necrotic energies.

Looking through the Keyhole: The keys decorating the figure’s attire begin to spin of their own accord, whipping and wizzing and making an eerie chimelike noise, all the while a strange glow emanates from the keyholes of its face.

Tumbler of Woe: The leather clad humanoid begins to spin like a top, clicking and whirring sounds issue from the figure like an enormous lock being opened.  Suddenly the ringlets shoot forth on silver wires striking everything within range.

Listening to: Soil – Scars – Wide Open

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In Beast: the Ravaging, your beast may belong to an Officium.  Officia are the guilds of battle.  Each Officium is tasked with a role that enables the warmongering hordes of the Beasts to conquer their foes in battle.  From ranged archers to frontline defenders, each Officium dedicates itself to a specific style of combat.  In every horde. each Officium is led by a Taskmaster, who directs the training and deployment of troops under his command.  The Taskmasters report to the Warlord of the horde, which is usually the biggest, meanest son of a beast around.

Membership in an Officium grants access to the specialized Aptitudes of their role in battle.  These Aptitudes allow members to execute extraordinary powers that allows the invoking Beast to ravage his enemies on the field of battle.

Artillery

The Artillery of a horde may consist of boulder throwing Giants, Javelin wielding Kobolds, crossbow wielding goblins, or mix of Beast and ranged weapon.  The role of the Artillery is to pin down enemy units and destroy their vanguard before they can reach the front lines.

Beasts of the Artillery Officium are usually deployed behind Soldiers and Brutes and shower death and destruction upon the enemy.

Brute

The largest and most power specimens of Genos usually find their way to the Brute Officium.  Brutes excel in punishing the enemy with devastating attacks.  However, Brutes are often slow and are thus easy to strike themselves.  Even so, it is a long grind to bring down the hordes’ Brutes.

Beasts of the Brute Officium are usually deployed to shield the leaders, Controllers, and Artillery of the horde.

Controller

Beasts of the Controller Officium are master manipulators of the battlefield.  The method Controllers use to exert their influence over the battlefield may include casting spells or merely employing clever tactics to turn the terrain against the enemy.

Controllers are usually deployed behind front line combatants, but should the need arise, they have no qualms against entering the fray themselves.

Lurker

Lurkers strike from the darkness and quickly withdraw, eliminating the enemy’s commanding officers, controllers, and destroying their moral.  Most Lurkers are deadly assassins that keep to the shadows, however some from this Officium merely disguise themselves as unlikely opponents.

The Lurker Officum is the wildcard for the hordes.  They are deployed anywhere on the battlefield where their services would prove most effective.  This usually means behind enemy lines.

Skirmisher

Skimishers use their speed and maneuverability to flank the enemy.  They move in and out of the melee, distracting and harry their opponents where they are vulnerable.  Mobility is the strength of this Officium.

Skirmishers are deployed on the battlefield to work in concert with Brutes and Soldiers.  They attack once the enemy is engaged with the frontlines.

Soldier

The Beasts of the Soldier Officium are the mainstay of the hordes.  Soldiers make up the bulk of the horde’s fighting force and are usually first to engage the enemy, at least after the enemy has moved through the storm of death rained in by Artillery.

Soldiers are deployed so their numbers are concentrated in the front and center the horde, though tactical minded Warlords often hold large units of Soldiers in reserve to crush their opponents when the oppportunity arises.

Aptitudes

So what cool powers do the Officia have to offer?  Can you smash your enemies with a boulder?  Or cleave them with brute strength?  Well you’ll have to wait until the next installment of Beast: the Ravaging to see.

Listening to: Marilyn Manson - Eat Me, Drink Me - Heart-Shaped Glasses (When the Heart Guides the Hand)

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